In the space below, describe the stasis at the beginning of Zoot Suit. In other words, “Where are we?” “When is it (time, day, and year)?” “Who are the people involved?” “What is the dramatic situation in which the characters find themselves as the play unfolds?” The play takes place in 1943, during the time of World War II in Los Angeles. The main characters of the story include Henry (Hank) Reyna, the leader of the 38th Street Gang, his family (including his father, Enrique, mother, Dolores, sister, Lupe, and brother, Rudy), his gang members (including Della, Smiley, Joey, Tommy, Elena, and Bertha), the Downey gang, the 38th Street Gang lawyer, George, and a publicist who becomes somewhat of a love interest of Henry’s, Alice. The story occurs in the summer around June to August. Henry is no more than 21 years old and his current girlfriend, Della, is about 20. Of course the most important character of the play is the Pachuco, or Henry’s subconscious. Henry and his friends are headed to a dance as the play unfolds.
What is the intrusion that causes the stasis to be broken and the dramatic action to develop, often at an increasingly rapid pace, to the end of the play? I believe the intrusion is when Henry and his fellow gang members are arrested for the murder of a man at Sleepy Lagoon. They are arrested, even though they didn’t commit the crime, and sent straight to jail. Soon they are given a people’s lawyer, named George, who truly believes Henry and his friends are innocent, but is aware of the injustice in the legal system and discrimination against minority groups.
Why do the events of the play take place at this particular time and place? In other words, what is the unique factor which is out of the ordinary that causes a turn of events to take place? This is the day that the 38th Street Gang is arrested for the murder at Sleepy Lagoon.
State the dramatic questions that must be answered by the end of the play? (Ordinarily, the dramatic question shares a close connection with the intrustion.) We want to know if the 38th Street Gang ever gains the freedom they deserve. During the first trial, they are found guilty of murder on the first and second degrees. However, after they appeal, they are granted freedom. We also want to know what happens to Henry after he gets out of jail. During the story, we see his initial romance with Della, how he was supposed to go into the service, and his little romance with Alice while he’s in jail. Towards the end we see how Henry is surrounded by multiple conversations with Della, his family members, Georgia, and Alice. He cannot decide what he should do. The story ends with four plausible endings, and finally saying that Henry Reyna still lives. However, we don’t know what truly happened to Henry Reyna.
Use Henry to answer the questions concerning character. Ball says, a character is revealed by what he/she does, ie. The dramatic actions that are taken. Examine what the character wants (NOTE: In Wedding Band the wants of Julia are in flux. They change as the play progresses). The wants of a character often encounter obstacles that get in the way of achieving those wants. Ball says there are 4 kinds of obstacles that frustrate the wants of a charcter. They are: a. Me against myself, b. Me against another individual, c. Me against society (that is law, social norms, etc.) and, d. Me against fate, the universe, natural forces, God or the gods. In answering these questions be sure to point to the particular obstacles that demonstrate these obstacles. At first, Henry is just an immature 21-year-old gang ring leader. He can’t seem to stay out of trouble and gets into little fights constantly. He is with Della and wants to marry her when he gets back from the marines. However, once he is arrested his world turns upside down. He faces obstacles against the part of society that finds the Zoot-suiters dangerous to the community. He also faces obstacles against George at first because he doesn’t trust that he just wants to help Henry and his friends. He think George may be an undercover cop. However, he finds out later that George genuinely wants to help Henry and the rest of his friends get out of jail because he knows they are not guilty of the crimes they have been committed of. Lastly, he faces obstacles against himself, which we can see when he argues with the Pachuco, whom we can assume is a part of Henry’s subconscious. Henry is very indecisive during many situations during the play. He tugs with himself about who he should trust, who he should be with, what he should do, and if he should even keep fighting.
The most important information in most plays takes place during theatrical moments. Identify the most theatrical moments in Zoot Suit. There are more than one. I think one of the most theatrical moments of the play is when Della is being interrogated on the stand. The press is badgering her about objects not even found at the scene and yelling at her. He’s trying to get something out of Della that’s simply not true. She won’t admit to anything. She speaks the truth and says she saw someone out of the corner of her eye beating a man but it wasn’t Henry, as Henry was right beside her and trying to yell to the man to stop beating his victim. I also think when the boys are released that it is a pretty dramatic moment because the reader has been anxiously awaiting this moment for the entire play. When it finally arrives, the reader has a sense of relief that justice had finally been done to these boys.
Provide at least three examples of images in Zoot Suit. How does the title of the play help us understand the images in the play? (Remember Ball says that, “An image is the use of something we know that tells us something we don’t know.” He goes on to say that images invoke and expand, rather than define and limit.”) The zoot suit, itself, is obviously a very important image of the play. It represents the chicano community and their culture. It also is a representation of freedom in the play. When the chicanos are free they wear their zoot suits to proudly display their background. Another image would be the newspapers. The author uses the newspapers as props during most of the play. He uses them as benches, in the courtroom, on the street, etc. to show how much the press can slant a story. Headlines are used throughout the play to expand on this idea and show how titles can greatly promote bias. Lastly, an image could be the marine uniform. This is a difficult image because on one hand, Rudy and Henry intend to join the marines, but on the other hand they wonder why they should serve the country that seems to be against them all the time? We see how this comes to a point when the servicemen strip the Pachuco of his costume.
Ordinarily, there are many themes in most plays. List the themes in Zoot Suit. Some themes would be gang violence, discrimination (especially in the legal system against minorities), family, chicano culture, and justice.
Most American plays have something to do with family and/or family relationships. What does family have to do with the dramatic action in Zoot Suit? One family in the play is Henry’s family. He tries to be a good role model for his little brother, Rudy, and little sister, Lupe. We see how this is a two-way street because Lupe and Rudy are constantly going to Henry for help and advice. However, a lot of the times Henry makes dumb decisions which lead to larger incidents, such as allowing Rudy to get trashed. Rudy later starts a brawl with some other gang members. We also see how proud and supportive Henry’s parents are of him. They never leave his side and continue to support him through the trials because they know he is not guilty. We also see a “family” unit between the members of the 38th Street Gang. All of these boys are like brothers and fight for one another. It goes to show that a family doesn’t always have to be bound by blood. Henry sticks out the appeal because he needs to for his other friends, not just himself.
The play takes place in 1943, during the time of World War II in Los Angeles. The main characters of the story include Henry (Hank) Reyna, the leader of the 38th Street Gang, his family (including his father, Enrique, mother, Dolores, sister, Lupe, and brother, Rudy), his gang members (including Della, Smiley, Joey, Tommy, Elena, and Bertha), the Downey gang, the 38th Street Gang lawyer, George, and a publicist who becomes somewhat of a love interest of Henry’s, Alice. The story occurs in the summer around June to August. Henry is no more than 21 years old and his current girlfriend, Della, is about 20. Of course the most important character of the play is the Pachuco, or Henry’s subconscious. Henry and his friends are headed to a dance as the play unfolds.
What is the intrusion that causes the stasis to be broken and the dramatic action to develop, often at an increasingly rapid pace, to the end of the play?
I believe the intrusion is when Henry and his fellow gang members are arrested for the murder of a man at Sleepy Lagoon. They are arrested, even though they didn’t commit the crime, and sent straight to jail. Soon they are given a people’s lawyer, named George, who truly believes Henry and his friends are innocent, but is aware of the injustice in the legal system and discrimination against minority groups.
Why do the events of the play take place at this particular time and place? In other words, what is the unique factor which is out of the ordinary that causes a turn of events to take place?
This is the day that the 38th Street Gang is arrested for the murder at Sleepy Lagoon.
State the dramatic questions that must be answered by the end of the play? (Ordinarily, the dramatic question shares a close connection with the intrustion.)
We want to know if the 38th Street Gang ever gains the freedom they deserve. During the first trial, they are found guilty of murder on the first and second degrees. However, after they appeal, they are granted freedom. We also want to know what happens to Henry after he gets out of jail. During the story, we see his initial romance with Della, how he was supposed to go into the service, and his little romance with Alice while he’s in jail. Towards the end we see how Henry is surrounded by multiple conversations with Della, his family members, Georgia, and Alice. He cannot decide what he should do. The story ends with four plausible endings, and finally saying that Henry Reyna still lives. However, we don’t know what truly happened to Henry Reyna.
Use Henry to answer the questions concerning character. Ball says, a character is revealed by what he/she does, ie. The dramatic actions that are taken. Examine what the character wants (NOTE: In Wedding Band the wants of Julia are in flux. They change as the play progresses). The wants of a character often encounter obstacles that get in the way of achieving those wants. Ball says there are 4 kinds of obstacles that frustrate the wants of a charcter. They are: a. Me against myself, b. Me against another individual, c. Me against society (that is law, social norms, etc.) and, d. Me against fate, the universe, natural forces, God or the gods. In answering these questions be sure to point to the particular obstacles that demonstrate these obstacles.
At first, Henry is just an immature 21-year-old gang ring leader. He can’t seem to stay out of trouble and gets into little fights constantly. He is with Della and wants to marry her when he gets back from the marines. However, once he is arrested his world turns upside down. He faces obstacles against the part of society that finds the Zoot-suiters dangerous to the community. He also faces obstacles against George at first because he doesn’t trust that he just wants to help Henry and his friends. He think George may be an undercover cop. However, he finds out later that George genuinely wants to help Henry and the rest of his friends get out of jail because he knows they are not guilty of the crimes they have been committed of. Lastly, he faces obstacles against himself, which we can see when he argues with the Pachuco, whom we can assume is a part of Henry’s subconscious. Henry is very indecisive during many situations during the play. He tugs with himself about who he should trust, who he should be with, what he should do, and if he should even keep fighting.
The most important information in most plays takes place during theatrical moments. Identify the most theatrical moments in Zoot Suit. There are more than one.
I think one of the most theatrical moments of the play is when Della is being interrogated on the stand. The press is badgering her about objects not even found at the scene and yelling at her. He’s trying to get something out of Della that’s simply not true. She won’t admit to anything. She speaks the truth and says she saw someone out of the corner of her eye beating a man but it wasn’t Henry, as Henry was right beside her and trying to yell to the man to stop beating his victim. I also think when the boys are released that it is a pretty dramatic moment because the reader has been anxiously awaiting this moment for the entire play. When it finally arrives, the reader has a sense of relief that justice had finally been done to these boys.
Provide at least three examples of images in Zoot Suit. How does the title of the play help us understand the images in the play? (Remember Ball says that, “An image is the use of something we know that tells us something we don’t know.” He goes on to say that images invoke and expand, rather than define and limit.”)
The zoot suit, itself, is obviously a very important image of the play. It represents the chicano community and their culture. It also is a representation of freedom in the play. When the chicanos are free they wear their zoot suits to proudly display their background. Another image would be the newspapers. The author uses the newspapers as props during most of the play. He uses them as benches, in the courtroom, on the street, etc. to show how much the press can slant a story. Headlines are used throughout the play to expand on this idea and show how titles can greatly promote bias. Lastly, an image could be the marine uniform. This is a difficult image because on one hand, Rudy and Henry intend to join the marines, but on the other hand they wonder why they should serve the country that seems to be against them all the time? We see how this comes to a point when the servicemen strip the Pachuco of his costume.
Ordinarily, there are many themes in most plays. List the themes in Zoot Suit.
Some themes would be gang violence, discrimination (especially in the legal system against minorities), family, chicano culture, and justice.
Most American plays have something to do with family and/or family relationships. What does family have to do with the dramatic action in Zoot Suit?
One family in the play is Henry’s family. He tries to be a good role model for his little brother, Rudy, and little sister, Lupe. We see how this is a two-way street because Lupe and Rudy are constantly going to Henry for help and advice. However, a lot of the times Henry makes dumb decisions which lead to larger incidents, such as allowing Rudy to get trashed. Rudy later starts a brawl with some other gang members. We also see how proud and supportive Henry’s parents are of him. They never leave his side and continue to support him through the trials because they know he is not guilty. We also see a “family” unit between the members of the 38th Street Gang. All of these boys are like brothers and fight for one another. It goes to show that a family doesn’t always have to be bound by blood. Henry sticks out the appeal because he needs to for his other friends, not just himself.